Thank God these types weren't influential in the greatest generation's conduct of the biggest good war of all--World War II. Our troops did things in World War II that are lost in the haze of weepy remembrances. And saying that our army still behaved far better than the historic norm would not reduce the shock of our current Left if they wanted to compare troop behavior.
War is hell. We do our best to minimize that hell for innocents with rules of warfare (which is one reason that granting unlawful combatants the benefits of rules they reject is wrong), but the hell will still be there to some degree.
So our Left, which is already bailing on the supposed "good war" in Afghanistan as it becomes the only war they have to protest, will see this report as more reason to judge Afghanistan a "bad war:"
On Monday, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan said the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division forced their way into the charity's hospital without permission to look for insurgents in Wardak province, southwest of Kabul.
"This is a clear violation of internationally recognized rules and principles," said Anders Fange, the charity's country director. He said it also went against an agreement between NATO forces and charities working in the area.
The U.S. troops came to the hospital looking for Taliban insurgents late at night last Wednesday. Fange said they kicked in doors, tied up four hospital guards and two people visiting hospitalized relatives, and forced patients out of beds during their search.
I am not judging our troops here. They may be completely innocent. I would not be surprised at all if the Swedish charity hospital was effectively part of the Taliban support network. The complaints of civilian casualties fall in this area as the press corps (for ideology, fear, or money) plays up rare civilian casualties as a virtual slaughter carried out by NATO forces.
But the point is, stuff happens. No matter how careful we are and no matter how strict our rules of engagement are. And if nothing happens, the enemy makes it up anyway and we get the bad press regardless.
If you really believe Afghanistan has been some sort of unique "good war," you have to believe that even when bad things happen or appear to happen.
UPDATE: We deny we did anything wrong:
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division searched the hospital in Wardak Province in east-central Afghanistan with the permission of hospital administrators, two senior defense officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk on the record.
The troops were searching for a militant they believed was hiding in the hospital after taking part in a nearby roadside bombing attack on a convoy that killed a civilian, one official said.
I eagerly await more information on how the Swedes operate their hospital. I will be surprised if jihadis don't form a significant portion of their patient intake.
